William p



ltitd States aan n esta..

WILLIAM P. ERWIN lAND THOMAS A. DUGDALE,` 0F RICHMGND, INDIANA.'

Letters Patent No. 100,276, dated March 1, 1870.

IMPROVED SCHOOL-DESK ANQSEAT.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and makmg part of lthe same.

Nature and Object of the Invention.

The nature of our invention consists in constructing a'school-desk in such a manner that the desk containing the books may be turnedor swung down behind Athe back board, when the said desk is so constructed that a part of the'backboard lis formed by the back of the'desk, and that when the desk is turned or swung down, a piece attached to the under side of the desk lls the space vacated in or at the top of the back board, so that when the desk is turned down, nearly the same lback is presented as when itis up; and that when the desk is swung down it will just fill the space between the end pieces or legs, thereby occupying the least possible room, which is effected by hinging the desk at the center of the top ofthe end piece or upri ht. v

gOur invention further consists in the manner of supporting the seat in= connection with the bearings on which the seat vbrates. g

Our invention further consists in providing the up` right pieces, at the front side of the legs, with two pins on a vertical line with each other, and furnishing the lower pin with a gum-elastic collar or other ilexible substance, against which an arm or arms rest when the seat is in.use. One of said arms has a hook at back end which holds the desk when it is down.

Our invention further consists in the manner of securing the lid of the desk by means of a hook, in connection with other devices hereafter described.

Description of Accompanying Drawings, which ares contained on plates Nos. l and '2. The sameletters refento corresponding parts in the several figures. Figure 1, on plate, 1, is a perspective view of ou school-desk and seat.

Figure 2, on plate 2, is a perspective view of our school-desk detached from its le'gs and seat,wth lid standing np.

. Figure 3, on plate 2, isA one of two end pieces lying on its side, and viewed from the legs or feet, endwise. Figure 4, on plate 2, is a brace with a circling hook at its uppene'nd, and a pin at its lower end. This brace is also lying on its side, and viewed endwise.

Figure 5, on plate 2, is one of two braces or supports for the seat, lying on its side.

Figure 6, on plate 2, in the seat turned-bottom side up, showing the braces or supports attached.

A is the desk.

B is the lid.

(l, the back-board.

D, the seat.

E E" are braces or supports.

F is a notch in the cast-iron end, at the back of the desk, in which` the hook 3 catches when the desk is swung down.

G is a brace.

H is a circling hook attached to or may be cast with the brace G, shown attached iu iig. 1, and shown cast solid with the brace,.iu gr4.

vI is a pin, which may be vsecured to the lid in any convenient way, around which the hook H turnsas the desk is being let down, or astaple' may answer the purpose of the-pin I, if desired. f

K is a hole in the end 'pieceP, there being a corresponding hole in each end piece.

L L" arepinswhich are inserted in the holes K, and on which the desk swings.

M is acatch or pawl to hold up the brace G, and near the top of the slot W.

N is a pin near the bottom ofthe brace G, which works by sliding in the slot W.

O is a pin in the end piece P to act as a stop and.

govern the catch or pawl M.Y

P P are end pieces which support the desk A, and which are secured to the back board C 'bymeaus of screws inserted in the hole Z, or they may be secured in any other convenient way so as to have suicient strength.

Q Q" are hinges by which the lid of the desk A is secured to the piece y, which forms a part of the back hoard when the desk is up."

R, upright pieces extending from the two front legs uprand which are provided with pins S and 6. S, one of the two pins lwith which ,the uprights R are'provided, and on each of. said lower pins is secured a piece of gum elastic or other flexible substance, which is. securedby riveting a washer over it on the vpin or pms.

T, gum elastic orfother flexible substance.

U Uvare holes in the braces or supports E toreceive the pins 6.

V Y are holes in the flanges ofthe braces or supports, through which screws are inserted to secure them to the seat.

W is a. slot in the end piece P.

X is a hole at' the top of the brace G, which v'ibrates on a pin.

Y is the front of the desk.

Z are holes in the end piece P.

l is a notch to make room for the pin I. 2 shows thefend' of a piece secured to the bottom of the desk, which, when the desk is Vturned down', lls the` space occupied by the piece Y when the desk is up,

3 is a hook to catch in the notch F, which holds the l desk down.

4 are arms projecting from the braces or supports E E" of the seat, which when the seatis down rests on the gum elastic, T, or other flexible substance. on the pins S.

5 5" are legs.

05 05 are recesses in the braces; E E" should rest against the gum-elastic pieces T, which are on the pins S.

6 is a pin on a vertical line above the pin S on eachV of the uprights R.

Construction.

We make om` desks and seats of good ash lumber,

one inch thick, the ed pieces of cast-iron. The brace G and hook H' are best made of-malleab1e iron, as also the pawl M and braces or supports E E. The endsof the deskAare made of cast-iron. The hinges for the lid are best of wrought iron.

Operation It will be seen that the desk being'suspended on the pins L, and having the brace G attached atX, and the pawl M supporting the pin N, the desk is held permanently t0 its place; and by detaching the pawl M and lowering or swinging the back/ part of .the desk down, the pin N passes down the slot W, and the brace G turning on a pivot at X, the hook H passes around the pin I, and when the desk is down in a vertical position with t-he end pieces P, the brace G is folded in between the end P and the desk A when thel the seat D may be turned up against the backboard C, and is' supported by the gum pieces T on pins S in the recesses 05 05", which will release the hook 3, and the desk A. may be raised. And when the seat D is let down, the arms or projecting t pieces 4 4" will rest against the gum-elastic pieces T on the pins S, and prevent noise in letting down .the seat.

We do not claim simply a folding desk and seat, as i we are aware they have been used and are not new. y

We are aware that slots, pins, and braces have been 4 Claims.

We'claim as our inventionl 1. Constructing a swinging desk with the piece: Y in connection with the piece 2, pin I, lid B, pins L, and notches F, as described.

2. The combination of brace G, hook H, pin I, pin N, and desk A, for the purpose of securing the lid of the desk when the desk is swung down, and alsoA for holding the desk up.

3. The construction of the braces or supports E E" with the hooks 3 and arms 4, in combinationwith the pieces R, pins S, and (i, seat'D, and gum-elastic pieces T, as described.

4. Securing the desk when swung down, by means of the hooks or catches 3, and notches F, in 'combination with seat D, constructed and arranged as above described.

WILLIAM P. ERWIN. THOMAS A. DUGDALE. Witnesses:

LEE J. TEMPLETON, JAMES M. HAYs. 

